1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of protective padding devices in general, and in particular to a multi-layer, waterproof, cushioned pad construction for garments.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,831,666; 4,920,577; 5,134,726; and, 5,592,689, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse protective knee pad constructions.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they. have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical protective garment pad construction that can be ironed onto the interior knee or elbow portion of a garment to provide a low profile waterproof, cushioned pad construction that will protect the user""s knees or elbows.
As any gardener, construction worker, or parent with small children is all too well aware, the presence of a protective knee covering is an absolute necessity under virtually all circumstances.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved type of garment pad construction that employs a multilayer construction that is waterproof, cushioned, and low friction, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the improved garment pad construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general an outer contact layer, a waterproof layer, a padded layer and an inner overlap layer that are operatively associated with one another in a specific fashion and are adapted to be operatively connected to a selected interior surface of a garment so that the presence of the pad construction is not readily apparent.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the outer and inner layers are joined together in a specific fashion to form a sealed chamber that envelops the waterproof layer and the padded layer wherein the waterproof layer frictionally engages both the outer layer and one side of the padded layer, and the other side of the padded layer only frictionally engages the inner overlap layer.
In addition, the friction-only contact between the waterproof and padded layers resists the bunching of those layers within the chamber formed by the inner and outer layers.
Furthermore, this invention also contemplates fabricating the waterproof layer from two generally identical rectangular sheets of neoprene whose inner surfaces are in frictional contact with one another and whose outer surfaces are in frictional contact with the padded layer and the outer contact layer to further reduce any bunching that might normally occur within the chamber formed by the inner and outer layers.